Billy Jones

Interest in Natural Health & Healing

Born in Toronto, Canada, Billy moved to Australia in 1964 after his father died in a plane crash. He grew up on a farm in northern NSW and just after his 18th birthday, bought a yacht to live aboard and go sailing.

While living on the boat, he read the Essene Gospel of Peace, an ancient manuscript over 2000 years old, translated into english, which contained a simple, practical formula for health, healing and wellbeing.

International Biogenic Society, Orosi, Costa Rica

Inspired and curious, Billy hopped on a plane to Los Angeles and backpacked across Central America to Costa Rica to try and meet the author of the Essene Gospel of Peace, Edmond Bordeaux Szekely. Although Edmond had died before he could meet him, his teachings on health, ancient civilisations and the Essenes, created a foundation for Billy’s lifelong interest in biogenic (life generating) living, cosmology, metaphysics, philosophy and quantum physics.

USA and the Living Foods Lifestyle
With a keen interest in the raw foods lifestyle, Billy travelled to Boston, USA in the 1980’s to live and work with Ann Wigmore, a pioneer of the learn-by-doing, living foods (raw vegan) lifestyle, originator of the use of wheatgrass juice for health and co-founder of the Hippocrates Health Institute. He worked with Ann, helping guests with their health goals and became an instructor of the Hippocrates ‘Living Foods Lifestyle’ Programme.

Ylang Ylang Beach Resort, Montezuma, Costa Rica

After completing his work with Ann, Billy travelled to Costa Rica again and worked at a health retreat in Montezuma, later renamed the Ylang Ylang Beach Resort. This trip to Costa Rica was also the time of his many experiments with water fasting and living on a diet of tropical fruits.

Seaside Health Retreat, Gold Coast, Australia

After returning to Australia from Costa Rica, Billy met his future wife Wendy. Together they opened the Seaside Health Retreat on the Gold Coast. The retreat offered a comfortable beachside living, learning-by-doing, health and fitness program based on:

• Essene biogenic lifestyle and philosophy
• Earth, air, water and sun healing
• Hippocrates Living Foods lifestyle programme
• Fruit-rich diet, detoxification and water fasting

Natural Hygiene and Fasting, Burnett, Texas US

Wendy and Billy were married in New Zealand and then embarked on an 18-month honeymoon adventure, sailing, hiking and traveling to many countries. At the end of their travels they lived and worked with Natural Hygiene educator and author TC Fry at his Health Retreat in Burnett, Texas. Wendy and Billy assisted guests during their water fasting and helped others in their transition to raw/living foods. TC’s teachings were the basis for the 1985 New York Times bestselling book “Fit for Life”.

GAIA Fiji, Coral Coast, Viti Levu

After becoming a SCUBA Diving Instructor (PADI) and Offshore Sailing Instructor (AYF), Billy, along with Wendy and new son Ben travelled to Fiji for a new adventure and opportunity to restore the abandoned 96-acre ‘Coral Village Beach Resort’. Wendy and Billy worked to transform the resort into a health retreat, permaculture training centre and eco-adventure getaway. They set up accomodaton in 12 ‘bure’ huts, a backpacker’s dormitory, beachfront camping area, restaurant and SCUBA diving and trekking programs. The name was changed to Gaia Fiji and the resort was up and running. After a few years developing the resort, it was time to leave and they moved to Wendy’s home town in New Zealand. The resort was later sold and became Wellesley Resort.

Permaworld Foundation, Nelson, BC, Canada

After Wendy died in a car accident in New Zealand, and with 3-year-old Benjamin and 9-month-old new daughter Jasmine (Jazzy) to raise alone, Nelson, BC, Canada became a new home for a fresh start. While in Nelson, Billy founded the non-profit Permaworld Foundation and launched an innovative fundraising programme to support environmental groups. Over 140,000 members joined and up to US$12,000 a month in donations were sent to a variety of organisations.

While living in Nelson, Billy also created PermaHOST, a web hosting and domain name registration service and launched an online exchange service for E-Gold (precursor to Bitcoin) incorporating the Permaworld ATM card. He also opened the Earth Matters ECO Store, staffed by people with special needs and helped develop Columbia Community Dollars, a local currency project,

Permaworld Retreat
After moving back to Australia and with Ben and Jazzy living on their own, Billy relocated to Phuket, Thailand in early 2017. In 2019 plans were underway to open a health retreat with a friend near Phuket Airport. When the COVID restrictions began, the opening date for the retreat in 2020 was put on hold and he moved back to Australia and setup the Permaworld Retreat at Bonogin on the Gold Coast instead. NOTE: Temporarily not operating due to Hiking Trip.

Hiking in New Zealand
In October 2022, Billy began walking the 3000 km Te Araroa Trail in New Zealand, celebrating his 65th birthday in the mountains of the South Island and completing the walk on Stewart Island in March 2023.

Next Adventure
Billy is hiking the 3,400 km Hexatrek trail in France departing May, 2024. If the weather and time permit, he will continue walking to also complete the 824 km Camino del Norte trail in Spain.  Join him on the hike if you like 😀